Verifying the reliability of hybrid issued from the cross “Picholine marocaine clones X Picholine du Languedoc”

In order to verify the reliability of hybrid population issued from crossing between 3 clones of "Picholine marocaine" cultivar and the "Picholine du Languedoc" cultivar, the descendants and their parents wereanalysed using 35 microsatellite loci. No offspring resulted from self crossing of "Picholine marocaine" cultivar and 218 descendants among 220 analysed are legitimate. This study showed clearly a segregating population and may be used as a genetic material for linkage map construction and for phenotyping resistance traits related to Spilocaea oleagina disease

Molecular Characterization and Study of Genetic Relationships among local Cultivars of the Moroccan fig (Ficus carica L.) using Microsatellite and ISSR Markers

Molecular characterization of Moroccan local fig (Ficus carica L.) germplasm was performed on the cultivars present in a collection of the National School of Agriculture of Meknes. A total of 22 fig samples were analysed using 7 ISSR primers and 9 loci S.S.R. A total of 54 I.S.S.R. polymorphic bands with an average of 8 per primers and 42 S.S.R. alleles with means 5 alleles per locus were revealed by these analyses. The ISSR markers allowed distinguishing 22 molecular profiles and S.S.R. loci differentiated between 21 different profiles. Pairwise Comparing, 87% of cultivars pairs were differentiated by 7 to 24 alleles and 89% by 9 to 29 ISSR bands. The statistical analysis and genetic distances have shown a wide molecular diversity in the collection, where the average observed heterozygosity was 0.42. The average similarity between cultivars is 70% using SSR markers and 71.6 for ISSR markers. The same SSR profile was obtained for Nabout1 and Nabout2 with 0 allele difference. Small differences of 1 to 6 alleles were obtained among cultivars which have the same names, which presumably corresponds to somaclonal variations obtained through intense vegetative propagation over long periods, while the differences over 7 alleles suggests the problems of homonyms

Yield gaps and nutrients use efficiency of apple tree (golden delicious/MM106) in the middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco

The main objective of this work was to evaluate use efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in adult apple orchards in the Middle Atlas of Morocco and to establish preliminary reference norms for fertilizing this crop under local conditions. The study was based on soil and leaf analysis and data with regard to farming practices and yield on forty apple orchards (cv. Golden delecious/MM106) where nineteen are growing on silty-clay soil and twenty-one on sandy-loam soil. The results showed significant correlations between leaf content for each nutrient and yield level following polynomial equations, thereby indicating local reference norms for apple leaf analysis. Moreover, correlations were significant between leaf and soil contents that permitted to determine apple needs in nitrogen fertilizer and references norms for soil richness in phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium to obtain yield potential in the study region. However, the found norms are less than International standards because of feebleness of yield level in the study region, largely related to deficient cultural practices adopted by farmers. In addition, investigation of leaf nutrients ratios N/K, N/Ca, K/Ca, K/Mg and Ca/Mg showed that there was disharmony in uptake of these nutrients originating particularly from high soil richness in Ca and Mg. Taking into account these considerations, the found references norms can be applied only under the adopted farming practices. Nevertheless, by improving local practices, reference values may change

Germination and Seedling Growth of a Set of Rapeseed (Brassica napus) Varieties under Drought Stress Conditions

Drought stress is one of the major abiotic factors affecting seed germination and plant growth especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, we investigated the effects of drought stress on seed germination and seedling growth of five varieties of rapeseed. Seven drought stress levels of zero (control), -3, -5, -7, -9, -11 and -13 bars were performed using polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000). A completely randomized design with three replications was used for this experiment. Germination percentage (GP), germination rate (GR), mean germination time (MGT), root length (RL) and shoot length (SL) were measured to evaluate the varieties response to PEG-induced drought stress. Drought stress, variety and the interaction drought × variety had a significant effect on all studied parameters. GP and GR decreased with the increase in stress level, while MGT increased. There were no seeds germinated for all varieties at -11 bars and -13 bars. Shoot length decreased with increasing drought stress but different varieties show different performance under stress environment. Root length decreased with increasing level of severe drought stress. However, the presence of moderate drought stress could even improve the root growth of the investigated varieties. The varieties ‘INRA-CZH2' and ‘INRA-CZH3' exhibited the highest germination percentage and the best early seedling growth. Thus, they could be recommended for environments with early cropping cycle drought

Substantial genetic diversity in cultivated Moroccan olive despite a single major cultivar: a paradoxical situation evidenced by the use of SSR loci

UMR DAP, équipe AFEFInternational audienceTo assess the genetic diversity in Moroccan cultivated olive, Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea, we performed molecular analysis of olive trees sampled in four geographic zones representing all areas of traditional olive culture. The analysis of 215 trees using 15 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci revealed 105 alleles distributed among 60 SSR profiles. The analysis of chloroplast deoxyribonucleic acid polymorphism for these 60 olive genotypes allowed to identify four chlorotypes: 42 CE1, one CE2, nine COM1and eight CCK. Among the 60 SSR profiles, 52 corresponded to cultivated olive trees for which neither denomination nor characterisation is available. These local olive genotypes displayed a spatial genetic structuring over the four Moroccan geographic zones (northwest, north centre, Atlas and southwest), as pairwise Fst values ranged from 0.0394 to 0.1383 and varied according to geographic distance. As single alleles detected in local olive were also observed in Moroccan oleaster populations, results suggest that plant material was mainly selected from indigenous populations. The assumption that Picholine marocaine cultivar is a multi-clonal cultivar was not supported by our data because we found a single genotype for 112 olive trees representing 31 to 93% of the olives sampled locally in the 14 different areas. Picholine marocaine and the few other named cultivars do not seem to belong to the same gene pools as the unnamed genotypes cultivated only locally. The situation is paradoxical: a substantial genetic diversity in Moroccan olive germplasm, probably resulting from much local domestication, but a single cultivar is predominan

Attributs de qualité, propriétés chimiques et composés bioactifs du jus de grenade (Punica granatum L.) transformé à partir d'arilles après congélation

Pomegranate juice quality depends essentially on its chemical and nutritional components stability. The valuable nutritional components may be reduced during its processing or storage. This study examined the effect of pomegranate arils’ frozen storage on juice quality, in terms of physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds stability. The physicochemical criteria (pH, TSS, TA, color attributes) and biochemical criteria (Total Phenolic content, Total anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity) were assessed on pomegranate juice extracted from frozen arils stored at (-18°C) for 6 months. Two cultivars ‘Sefri’ and ‘Wonderful’ were subject to this study. Results showed that the pH, TSS, and TA were generally stable in frozen arils juice. However, arils freezing had a significant effect on pomegranate juice color parameters. In fact, a significant decrease of a* values were revealed in juice samples for both cultivars. Therefore, the color intensity (chroma) has decreased significantly and total color differences (ΔE∗ab) also showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) between fresh juice and frozen arils juice. Arils freezing conditions (−18 °C) for 6 months didn’t affect pomegranate juice physiochemical criteria. However, bioactive compounds of pomegranate juice were reduced significantly. In fact, total phenolic content decreased by about 27% and 31% for ‘Sefri’ and ‘Wonderful’ cultivars, respectively. Total anthocyanins content decreased by 20% and 30% for ‘Sefri’ and ‘Wonderful’ cultivars, respectively. Antioxidant activity, measured based on the juice’s radical scavenging properties using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method, decreased by about 50% for ‘Sefri’ cultivar and 60% for ‘Wonderful’ cultivar.La qualité du jus de grenade dépend essentiellement de la stabilité de ses propriétés chimiques et nutritionnelles. L'objectif de cette étude est d'examiner l'effet de la congélation des arilles de grenade sur la qualité du jus, en termes de propriétés physicochimiques et de stabilité des composés bioactifs. Les critères physicochimiques (pH, TSS, TA, paramètres de la couleur) et biochimiques (teneur en polyphénols totaux, teneur en anthocyanes totaux et l’activité antioxydante) ont été évalués sur le jus de grenade extrait d'arilles congelées stockées à (-18°C) pendant 6 mois. Deux cultivars 'Sefri' et 'Wonderful' ont fait l'objet de cette étude. Les résultats ont montré que le pH, le TSS et le TA étaient généralement stables dans le jus d'arilles congelé. Cependant, la congélation des arilles a eu un effet significatif sur les paramètres de couleur du jus de grenade. En fait, une diminution significative des valeurs a* a été révélée dans les échantillons de jus pour les deux cultivars. Par conséquent, l'intensité de la couleur (chroma) a diminué de manière significative et les différences totales de couleur (ΔE∗ab) ont également montré une différence significative (p < 0,05) entre le jus frais et celui d'arilles congelées. La teneur des polyphénols totaux du jus d'arilles congelées a diminué d'environ 27% pour le cultivar 'Sefri' et de 31% pour le cultivar 'Wonderful'. De plus, la teneur totale en anthocyanes a diminué de 20% pour le cultivar 'Sefri' et de 30% pour le cultivar 'Wonderful'. L'activité antioxydante, mesurée sur la base des propriétés de piégeage des radicaux du jus par la méthode du 2,2-diphényl-1-picrylhydrazyl, a diminué d'environ 50% pour le cultivar 'Sefri' et de 60% pour le cultivar 'Wonderful'. Le stockage des arilles dans des conditions de congélation (-18 °C) pendant 6 mois n'a pas affecté les critères physico-chimiques du jus de grenade, cependant, les composés bioactifs du jus de grenade ont été réduits de manière significative

A genetic linkage map of olea europaea L. using a pseudo-test cross- mapping strategy based on SSR, AFLP, ISSR, RAPD and SCAR markers

International audienceA genetic map of olive tree (Olea europaea; 2n = 46) was constructed with a total of 343 markers: 35 SSRs, 272 AFLPs, 35 ISSRs, and RAPD and SCAR scored in 140 F1 progenies from the cross between ‘Picholine marocaine’ ‘PM’ (female parent) and ‘Picholine du Languedoc’‘PL’ (male parent), respectively susceptible and resistant to Spilocaea oleagina. The female map consisted of 100 markers clustered in 24 linkage groups (LG) and covered over 1260.9 cM, while the male map was defined by 90 markers assigned to 22 linkage groups and covered 1183 cM. The consensus map obtained based on 193 markers (26 SSRs, 151 AFLPs, 12 ISSRs, 3 RAPDs, 1 SCAR) and 31 linkage groups covered 2332.8 cM